Scotland is not a white country.. and is all the better for that fact
WHEN Humza Yousaf stood in the Scottish Parliament and rhymed off the list of Scotland’s institutions bereft of black faces, he faced an onslaught of abuse.
Scotland took umbrage but the colourblind nation, couthy and kind, embracing all Jock Tamson’s bairns, is as authentic a portrayal of our country as Brigadoon.
Tomorrow, Black History Month kicks off in Scotland and it’s an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate our country’s diversity – even if that heterogeneity may not seem obvious.
There are events which relate to Black Lives Matter and Scotland’s shameful history of slavery but the focus is as much about the now and the tomorrow.
It is a pity that it’s one of the only times in the calendar when black Scotland is visible at all and even then, it has a limited reach to those who are consciously interested.
As gifted black musician Joseph Malik recently pointed out, even our own parliament doesn’t seem to be aware of black Scotland.
Apart from Justice Secretary Yousaf, and MSP Anas Sarwar, our parliament is a sea of white faces, as are all of our key institutions, including our media offices.
The seminal BBC documentary Black and Scottish, by film-maker Stewart Kyasimire, spoke to prominent African, Caribbean and mixed race artists, musicians, actors, a professor and politicians.
They spoke of how surprised people were when they opened their mouths to reveal a Scottish lilt. However, they were still asked, “But where are you really from?”
We are now on to multiple generations of black and ethic minority Scots we still refer to as an “immigrant population”.
Families like mine were Irish immigrants but no one questions my Scottishness.
When Yousaf made his BLM speech, the alt-right derided him for calling on black and ethnic minorities to have a place in the top tier of our society. In a video targeting Yousaf, one alt-right commentator in Canada said: “He is living in a white country, what does he expect?”
Scotland isn’t a white country but it is whitewashed.
Founding member of African Caribbean Society Scotland, Cynthia Gentle, who helped organise the Black Lives Matter protests north of the Border, has spoken of our country’s blindness to the issue of racism here.
We will take to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd in America, just as we did the evil of apartheid but there is little recognition of how Scotland is failing its own black community.
Where was the outrage over the death in custody in Scotland of Sheku Bayoh?
Change needs to begin at home and not actively pushing for diversity, in all our corridors of power, is racism by default.
Generations of black Scots are rarely represented beyond the usual realms of music, fashion and the arts.
Only one commissioner for the BBC in Scotland is of colour, so it’s no surprise if programmes such as Black and Scottish have to fight for a place in the scheduling.
If Covid has done anything it has shown us how many ethnic minorities there are in the NHS and care sectors.
But despite being over-represented in these essential services, they are not progressing through the ranks – despite most being over-qualified to remain at the bottom of the career ladder.
Glasgow City councillor Graham Campbell talks of being “like a walking exhibit in a crime scene” – his name and his Jamaican heritage a reminder of our colonial past.
But he is also a reminder, as he fights the corner of all of us in the council of my home city, that Scotland is not a white country and is all the better for it.
Yes, we should look to the sins of our fathers and recognise and atone for the atrocities they committed but we also must face up to the mistakes we continue to make as a nation.
Black History Month runs through October. It is easily accessible online and is fascinating, educational and hugely entertaining.
Make an effort to tune in because black culture is Scotland’s culture – and there is no “them”, only us.